The Lord willing, in a little over two months I will be debating Bruce Reeves (our 2nd debate) in Ft. Smith, Arkansas on the issue of whether a born again child of God may lose his salvation. It will not be the first time that I have debated those of the "Church of Christ" on this topic.
In this article I want to look at how Campbellites and Hardshells look at the example of those Israelites "whose carcases fell in the wilderness." B.H. Carroll spoke of these two sects as being "twins" (see here). Brother Bob Ross has analyzed the similarities and differences between these twins.
One area I have previously written about, however, is how both sects interpret and err on the parable of the soils (or sower and the seed). (see here)
Many Hardshells, like Hardshell legend debater, Elder C. H. Cayce, and my own father, teach that each of the four kinds of soils represent four kinds of Christians (or saved people). They say that the unregenerate are not represented in the parable. This is an error.
Old Baptist and historic Calvinist teaching has affirmed that only the good ground hearer represented the truly saved and born again. This is the view that is the correct interpretation of the parable.
Campbellites affirm that the shallow and thorny ground hearers represent Christians who lost their salvation. But, this view is not tenable, but is a misinterpretation of the parable.
It is another oddity how both Hardshells and Campbellites misinterpret and falsely explain the "example" of the unbelieving Israelites, those who died in the wilderness because of unbelief.
Campbellites think, like many Arminians, that the "example" of the Israelites is an example of losing salvation. The Israelites had been "saved" out of Egypt, but did not reach the promised land (final salvation), but died in condemned unbelief. Thus, it is argued, that one can be saved initially but not saved finally.
Hardshells think, like some other Calvinist minorities, that those who died in the wilderness are examples of disobedient children of God, and that their loss of the promised land does not represent a loss of final salvation, but a mere loss of temporal blessing. Jason Brown, a self-styled Hardshell "apologist," wrote: "...the fact that there were born again people that "died in the 40 year wilderness exile". (see here)
The view of the overwhelming majority of Christian writers believe that the fallen Israelites represent those who are lost. Both Arminian and Calvinist affirm this. The only disagreement between them concerns whether to affirm that those who died in the wilderness could be said to have lost salvation. Calvinists affirm that unbelieving Israelites never had it to lose.
It was only those Israelites who were genuine believers, genuinely saved, who did not die in the wilderness, and who in fact entered the promised land. Those who believed and remained believing (faithful), such as Caleb and Joshua, represent the elect, or the spiritual Israel within the natural Israel, "for they are not all Israel which are of Israel." (Rom. 9: 6)
Here are the leading passages on the "example" of the disobedient Israelites.
"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (I Cor. 10: 1-12)
" I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 1: 5)
"But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. 7Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief...Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said..." (Hebrews 3: 6 - 4: 3)
"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (4: 11)
It is clear from these verses that the Israelites who fell in the wilderness were members of the visible faith community. It is also clear that they were at some point "believers."
"Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. 9He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. 10And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. 11And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left. 12Then believed they his words; they sang his praise. 13They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: 14But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert...They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; 22Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea. 23Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. 24Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: 25But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord. 26Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness: 27To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands." (Psalm 106: 8-14; 23-27)
They were temporary believers. Their faith was shallow, like that of the shallow ground hearer. But, the verdict of them was that they were "unbelievers," for the faith they had was not of the saving kind. Their temporary "believing" in the miracles at the Red Sea and elsewhere only inspired a belief that the God of Israel was mighty and favoring Israel, much like many of those disciples and believers who followed Jesus around to either obtain free food or to behold the magic of Jesus.
Campbellites (Arminians) argue that the NT writers emphasize the fact that the Israelites who died in the wilderness had been "saved" and "redeemed," and had once "believed" the word of God, and that they had had the blood applied to them, or were sanctified, that they had been "baptized unto Moses," and had eaten the Lord's supper, partaking of spiritual drink and of that "spiritual rock" that followed them, etc. Surely, they argue, the example is for Christians who, in a similar way, have believed, been baptized unto Christ, been saved, redeemed, sanctified, and have partaken of spiritual food and drink.
It is agreed that the example of the ancient Israelites, both faithful and unfaithful, saved and lost, is an example to all professing Christians. It is also generally agreed that not all those who profess to be Christians are really saved, or possess saving faith. Just as Paul said - "They are not all Israel (internally and spiritually) which are of (externally and naturally) Israel" (Rom. 9: 6), so we may say - "they are not all of Christ (internally and spiritually) which are of Christ (externally)."
By birth, every Israelite gave external and compulsory allegiance to Jahweh and was an "Israelite." But, only a small remnant of Israel were true spiritual Israelites, who were "Jews inwardly" and "circumcised in the heart and spirit." (Rom. 2: 28, 29) Likewise, in the church age, there are some who are Christian by birth (infant baptism) and give external conformity and belief in the community's religions dogma. But, just like among the faith community of Israel in olden times, so among the Christian faith community, those who are truly Israelites, truly Christians, internally and spiritually, and those who are are only so externally, dwell together.
So, the NT writers are warning all professing Christians, of whatever sect, to not think that they will be finally saved simply because they have made a Christian profession, externally taken of the Lord's Supper, been externally baptized in water, and enjoyed temporal deliverance.
In all these warnings, the NT writers do not infer that they believed that those Christians who had "received the word with an honest and good heart," and who had truly experienced the reality that Christian baptism and the Lord's Supper symbolize, would, or could, fail to persevere.
The warnings and examples will accomplish their purpose in being the divine means of keeping the truly saved persevering in faith. They will also be used as evidence in Heaven's court in the Day of Judgement against those professing Christians who did not heed the warnings and fell after the example of the ancient unbelieving Israelites.
So, let us see where we are. I agree with the majority of bible students that those Israelites who fell in the wilderness did not die as children of God. I disagree with those Hardshells and Universalists who say that the Israelites who fell in the wilderness are still as much the children of God as Caleb and Joshua. Theirs is a minority view and does not bear the test of sound hermeneutics.
They Were Lost
Let us now prove that the fallen Israelites were not saved, but died in their sins, and went to Hell. This proof will dispel the Hardshell and Univeralist view. Then we will prove that they were never saved and so their case cannot prove that salvation was lost. This proof will dispel the Arminian view. Having proven these premises, it will be seen that the case of the fallen Israelites, and the case of apostate Christians, are only examples of false professors, of hypocrites and impostors.
OT Testimony
"Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation...they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant...He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble..." (Psa. 78: 21, 22, 36-37, 49)
NT Testimony
"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." (Acts 7: 51)
"Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God...But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." (Heb. 3: 10-12, 17-19)
How anyone can read these words and affirm, as do many Hardshells, that the fallen Israelites were saved people, is incredulous.
Further, how anyone can read these words and affirm, as do the Arminians, that the fallen Israelites were saved people who lost their salvation and went to Hell, is equally incredulous. There is nothing in the text that says that those who perished were believers, or had a good heart, or were genuine. In fact, it is plainly said that "they lied" unto God when they confessed him. They were hypocrites.
The Campbellite agrees with the Hardshells in affirming that those who fell in the wilderness had been genuine children of God. Both say that the fallen Israelites lost salvation, but the Campbellite says that eternal salvation was lost but Hardshells say that only a time salvation was lost.
The Main Lesson
The main lesson is to show that not all who externally become Christians are in fact Christians. That is why Paul concludes his analysis of the "example" for Christians by saying - "wherefore, let him who thinks he stands (or is saved), take heed lest he fall" (as the unbelieving, stiffnecked, uncircumcised in heart, who died under the wrath of God in the wilderness).
In other words, it is a call to all professing Christians to make sure that they are not shallow or thorny ground hearers, not temporary believers, not superficial and fraudulent in their confessed faith. It is a call not to fall as did the unbeliever Israelites. It is a call to make one's calling and election sure.
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